Shared Three-Dimensional Vertical Memory

ABSTRACT

In a shared three-dimensional vertical memory (3D-MV), each horizontal address line comprises at least two regions: a lightly-doped region and a low-resistivity region. The lightly-doped region is formed around selected memory holes and shared by a plurality of low-leakage memory cells. The low-resistivity region forms a conductive network to reduce the resistance of the horizontal address line.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/137,512, filed Sep. 20, 2018, which claims priorities from ChinesePatent Application 201810518263.X, filed on May 27, 2018; Chinese PatentApplication 201810537891.2, filed on May 30, 2018; Chinese PatentApplication 201810542880.3, filed on May 30, 2018; Chinese PatentApplication 201810619764.7, filed on Jun. 14, 2018; Chinese PatentApplication 201810674263.9, filed on Jun. 26, 2018, in the StateIntellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China (CN), thedisclosure of which are incorporated herein by references in itsentireties.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuit, andmore particularly to three-dimensional memory.

2. Prior Art

Three-dimensional vertical memory (3D-M_(V)) is a monolithicsemiconductor memory. It comprises a plurality of vertical memorystrings disposed side-by-side above (or, on) a semiconductor substrate.Each memory string comprises a plurality of vertically stacked memorycells. Because its memory cells are formed in a three-dimensional (3-D)space, the 3D-M_(V) has a large storage density and a low storage cost.

FIGS. 1A-1B disclose the overall structure of a conventional 3D-M_(V)(prior art). FIG. 1A is its cross-sectional view. It comprises asubstrate circuit OK, horizontal address lines 8 a-8 h, memory holes 2a-2 d, programmable layers 6 a-6 d, vertical address lines 4 a-4 d andmemory cells 1 aa-1 ha . . . . The substrate circuit OK is formed on asemiconductor substrate 0. The horizontal address lines 8 a-8 h areinterleaved with insulating layers 5 a-5 g above the substrate circuitOK. The memory holes 2 a-2 d penetrate through the horizontal addresslines 8 a-8 h and the insulating layers 5 a-5 g. The programmable layers6 a-6 d cover the sidewalls of the memory holes 2 a-2 d. The verticaladdress lines 4 a-4 d is formed in the remaining spaces of the memoryholes 2 a-2 d. The memory cells 1 aa-1 ha . . . are formed at theintersections of the horizontal address lines 8 a-8 h and the verticaladdress lines 4 a-4 d. Among them, all memory cells 1 aa-1 ha coupled toa same vertical address line 4 a form a memory string 1A.

FIG. 1B is a top view of a horizontal address line 8 a (prior art). Thehorizontal address line (also known as horizontal conductive plate) 8 ais a horizontal conductive plate with finite dimensions. Afterpenetrating through the horizontal address line 8 a, the memory holes 2a-2 h have their sidewalls covered by the programmable layer 6 a-6 h,before being filled with conductive materials to form the verticaladdress lines (also known as vertical conductive lines) 4 a-4 h. Asbefore, the memory cells 1 aa-1 ah are formed at the intersections ofthe horizontal address line 8 a and the vertical address lines 4 a-4 h.

FIG. 1C is a symbol of the memory cell 1. The memory cell 1 comprises aprogrammable layer 12 and a diode 14. The resistance of the programmablelayer 12 can be changed by at least an electrical programming signal.The diode 14 has two terminals: a positive terminal (also known asanode) 1+ and a negative terminal (also known as cathode) 1−. Ingeneral, a diode 14 favors current flow from its anode 1+ to its cathode1−, but not the opposite. Technically, a diode is any two-terminaldevice with the following characteristics: when the applied voltage hasits magnitude smaller than the read voltage V_(R) or its polarityopposite to the read voltage V_(R), the electrical resistance of thediode 14 is substantially larger than the read resistance V_(R) (i.e.the electrical resistance when the applied voltage is equal to the readvoltage V_(R)). In other patents or technical papers, the diode 14 in a3D-M_(V) is also referred to as selector, steering element,quasi-conductive layer, or other names. In this specification, thesenames have the same meaning.

The diode 14 is preferably a built-in P-N junction diode or Schottkydiode formed naturally between the horizontal address line 8 a and thevertical address line 4 a. A built-in diode means that no separate diodelayer is needed. To reduce the reverse leakage current and improve thereverse breakdown voltage of the diode 14, both the P-N junction diodeand the Schottky diode preferably comprise a lightly-doped region. Forexample, the P-N junction diode preferably has a P+/N−/N+ structure, theSchottky diode preferably has a metal/N−/N+ structure. In both diodestructures, the lightly-doped region is an N− layer and has a thicknessranging from tens of nanometers to tens of microns. Throughout thisspecification, the lightly-doped region could comprise an N−semiconductor material, an intrinsic (i−) semiconductor material, a P−semiconductor material, or a combination thereof.

FIG. 1D is a circuit schematic of a memory array 10 a (prior art). Itcomprises word lines 8 a-8 h, bit lines 4 a-4 h and memory cells 1 aa-1ah . . . . Within a memory array 10 a, all word lines 8 a-8 h and allbit lines 4 a-4 h are continuous; and, they are not shared with anyadjacent memory array(s). In this example, the word lines 8 a-8 h arecoupled with the anodes 1+ of the diodes 14 in the memory cells 1 aa-1ah, while the bit lines 4 a-4 h are coupled with the cathodes 1− of thediodes in the memory cells 1 aa-1 ah. During read, a read voltage V_(R)is applied to a selected one of the word lines, and the informationstored in a memory cell(s) is read out from an associated bit line(s).Note that all unprogrammed memory cells 1 aa-1 ah . . . in aconventional semiconductor memory have similar physical structures. Whenthe programmed memory cells store the same digital information (i.e. inthe same digital state), they have similar electrical (e.g.current-voltage) characteristics.

FIG. 1E shows the structure of a memory cell 1 aa whose memory hole 2 acomprises a lightly-doped region 4 a′ (prior art). The anode 1+ of thediode 14 is the horizontal address line 8 a, while its cathode 1− is thevertical address line 4 a. The anode 1+ comprises at least a P+semiconductor material (for the P-N junction diode) or at least ametallic material (for the Schottky diode), while the cathode 1−comprises at least a N− layer 4 a′ and N+ layer 4 a. Because both N− andN+ layers 4 a′, 4 a are formed inside the memory hole 2 a, the diameterD of the memory hole 2 a is equal to the sum of the diameter d of thevertical address line 4 a, twice the thickness T of the N− layer 4 a′and twice the thickness t of the programmable layer 6 a (i.e.D=d+2T+2t). As the thickness T of the N− layer 4 a′ ranges from tens ofnanometers to tens of microns, the diameter D of the memory hole 2 a islarge. This leads to a low storage density and a high storage cost.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

It is a principle object of the present invention to provide a 3D-M_(V)with a large storage capacity.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a 3D-M_(V)with a low storage cost.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a 3D-M_(V)with smaller memory holes.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a 3D-M_(V)with denser memory holes.

In accordance with these and other objects of the present invention, thepresent invention discloses several improved three-dimensional verticalmemories (3D-M_(V)).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To minimize the diameter of the memory hole, the present inventiondiscloses a two-region 3D-M_(V). Different from prior art of FIG. 1E,the lightly-doped region of the diode in the preferred two-region3D-M_(V) is disposed outside the memory hole. Because the memory holecomprises only the vertical address line and the programmable layer, itsdiameter D is smaller. To be more specific, the horizontal address lineof the preferred two-region 3D-M_(V) comprises at least two regions: afirst region and a second region. The first region is a lightly-dopedregion surrounding the memory hole. It comprises at least alightly-doped semiconductor material which would reduce the reverseleakage current and improve the reverse breakdown voltage of the memorycells. The second region is a low-resistivity region outside the firstregion. It comprises at least a conductive material whose resistivity islower than that of the lightly-doped region. The low-resistivity regionlowers the resistance of the horizontal address line and shortens theaccess time of the 3D-M_(V).

To reduce the spacing between the memory holes, the present inventionfurther discloses a shared 3D-M_(V). It is an improvement over thetwo-region 3D-M_(V) with each lightly-doped region shared by a pluralityof memory cells. To be more specific, the horizontal address line of thepreferred shared 3D-M_(V) comprises at least two regions: a firstlightly-doped region and a second low-resistivity region. Eachlightly-doped region comprises a plurality of memory cells, which areformed at the intersections of the lightly-doped region and the verticaladdress lines. Because the memory cells in the lightly-doped region havea small reverse leakage current, these memory cells are referred to aslow-leakage memory cells. On the other hand, the conductive material inthe low-resistivity region forms a conductive network in the horizontaladdress line. It provides a low-resistance current-flowing path. Thisensures a short access time and a small programming voltage.

Relative to the low-leakage memory cells in the lightly-doped region,the memory cells formed at the intersections of the low-resistivityregion and the vertical address lines have a larger reverse leakagecurrent and therefore, are referred to as high-leakage memory cells.Although a memory array of the preferred shared 3D-M_(V) could includeboth low-leakage and high-leakage memory cells at the same time, as longas the total number of the high-leakage memory cells is far smaller thanthat of the low-leakage memory cells, the performance of the preferredshared 3D-M_(V) would not be compromised.

The present invention discloses several preferred embodiments of theshared 3D-M_(V)'s. In the first preferred embodiment, the memory cellsare formed in both lightly-doped and low-resistivity regions and havethe same areal density (i.e. the number of memory cells per unit area onthe horizontal address line). As long as the total area of thelightly-doped region is much larger than that of the low-resistivityregion, this preferred embodiment can function correctly. In thispreferred embodiment, the lightly-doped region has a rectangular shape.The second preferred embodiment is similar to the first preferredembodiment except that the lightly-doped region has a hexagonal shape.It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the lightly-dopedregion could take other geometric shapes.

In the third preferred embodiment, the areal density of the high-leakagememory cells is smaller than that of the low-leakage memory cell. Thiswould improve the performance of the 3D-M_(V). In the fourth preferredembodiment, no memory holes penetrate through the low-resistivityregion. Because only the lightly-doped region comprises memory cellswhile the low-resistivity region does not comprise any memory cells, thememory array comprises only low-leakage memory cells, but nohigh-leakage memory cells. This would further improve the performance ofthe 3D-M_(V).

There is a major difference between the preferred shared 3D-M_(V) and aconventional semiconductor memory. In the conventional semiconductormemory, all unprogrammed memory cells (e.g. state ‘0’) have similarphysical structures, while the programmed memory cells storing the samedigital information (i.e. in the same digital state, e.g. state ‘1’)have similar electrical characteristics. In the preferred shared3D-M_(V), even if they store the same digital information, thelow-leakage memory cell and high-leakage memory cell have differentelectrical characteristics: the resistance of the high-leakage memorycell (e.g. state ‘1’) is smaller than that of the low-leakage memorycell (e.g. state ‘1’); and, the resistance of the low-leakage memorycell (e.g. state ‘1’) is smaller than that of the unprogrammed memorycell (e.g. state ‘0’).

Accordingly, the present invention discloses a three-dimensionalvertical memory (3D-M_(V)), comprising: a semiconductor substrateincluding a substrate circuit; a plurality of horizontal address linesstacked above said substrate circuit; a plurality of memory holespenetrating through said horizontal address lines; a plurality ofprogrammable layers covering the sidewalls of said memory holes; aplurality of vertical address lines formed in said memory holes; each ofsaid horizontal address lines including at least a first region and asecond region outside said first region, wherein: said first regioncomprises at least a lightly-doped semiconductor material surroundingselected ones of said memory holes; said first region has a higherresistivity than said second region; and, a first plurality of saidmemory holes penetrate through said first region; a second plurality ofsaid memory holes penetrate through said second region.

The present invention further discloses another three-dimensionalvertical memory (3D-M_(V)), comprising: a semiconductor substrateincluding a substrate circuit; a plurality of horizontal address linesstacked above said substrate circuit; a plurality of memory holespenetrating through said horizontal address lines; a plurality ofprogrammable layers covering the sidewalls of said memory holes; aplurality of vertical address lines formed in said memory holes; each ofsaid horizontal address lines including at least a first region and asecond region outside said first region, wherein: said first regioncomprises at least a lightly-doped semiconductor material surroundingselected ones of said memory holes; said first region has a higherresistivity than said second region; and, said memory holes penetratethrough said first region; none of said memory holes penetrate throughsaid second region.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a z-x cross-sectional view of a conventional 3D-M_(V) alongthe cutline A-A′ of FIG. 1B (prior art); FIG. 1B is an x-y top view ofits horizontal address line 8 a (prior art); FIG. 1C is a symbolrepresenting a memory cell; FIG. 1D is a circuit schematic of a memoryarray of the conventional 3D-M_(V) (prior art); FIG. 1E is a z-xcross-sectional view of a memory cell whose memory hole comprises alightly-doped region (prior art).

FIG. 2 is a z-x cross-sectional view of a preferred two-region 3D-M_(V)memory cell.

FIG. 3AA is a z-x cross-sectional view of a first preferred embodimentof the two-region 3D-M_(V) memory cell; FIG. 3AB is a symbolrepresenting the memory cell of FIG. 3AA; FIG. 3BA is a z-xcross-sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of the two-region3D-M_(V) memory cell; FIG. 3BB is a symbol representing the memory cellof FIG. 3BA.

FIG. 4A is an x-y top view of a horizontal address line 8 a of thepreferred two-region 3D-M_(V); FIG. 4B is a z-x cross-sectional view oftwo neighboring memory cells of the preferred two-region 3D-M_(V).

FIG. 5A is a z-x cross-sectional view of a first preferred shared3D-M_(V) along the cutline B-B′ of FIG. 5B; FIG. 5B is an x-y top viewof its horizontal address line 8 a; FIG. 5CA is a circuit schematic of amemory array of the first preferred shared 3D-M_(V) which uses thememory cell of FIGS. 3AA-3AB; FIG. 5CB is a circuit schematic of amemory array of the first preferred shared 3D-M_(V) which uses thememory cell of FIGS. 3BA-3BB.

FIGS. 6A-6D are z-x cross-sectional views of the first preferred shared3D-M_(V) at four manufacturing steps.

FIG. 7A is a z-x cross-sectional view of a second preferred shared3D-M_(V) along the cutline C-C of FIG. 7B; FIG. 7B is an x-y top view ofits horizontal address line 8 a; FIG. 7CA is a circuit schematic of amemory array of the second preferred shared 3D-M_(V) which uses thememory cell of FIGS. 3AA-3AB; FIG. 7CB is a circuit schematic of amemory array of the second preferred shared 3D-M_(V) which uses thememory cell of FIGS. 3BA-3BB.

FIGS. 8A-8D are x-y top views of the horizontal address lines 8 a infour preferred embodiments of the preferred shared 3D-M_(V)'s.

It should be noted that all the drawings are schematic and not drawn toscale. Relative dimensions and proportions of parts of the devicestructures in the figures have been shown exaggerated or reduced in sizefor the sake of clarity and convenience in the drawings. The samereference symbols are generally used to refer to corresponding orsimilar features in the different embodiments.

Throughout the present invention, the phrase “on the substrate” meansthe active elements of a circuit are formed on the surface of thesubstrate, although the interconnects between these active elements areformed above the substrate; the phrase “above the substrate” means theactive elements are formed above the substrate and do not touch thesubstrate. The symbol “/” means a relationship of “and” or “or”.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Those of ordinary skills in the art will realize that the followingdescription of the present invention is illustrative only and is notintended to be in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the inventionwill readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons from anexamination of the within disclosure.

To minimize the diameter of the memory hole, the present inventiondiscloses a two-region 3D-M_(V). Different from prior art of FIG. 1E,the lightly-doped region of the diode in the preferred two-region3D-M_(V) is disposed outside the memory hole. Because the memory holecomprises only the vertical address line and the programmable layer, itsdiameter D is smaller. Details of the preferred two-region 3D-M_(V)'sare disclosed in FIGS. 2-4B.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a memory cell 1 aa of a preferred two-region3D-M_(V) is shown. It comprises a horizontal address line 8 a, a memoryhole 2 a penetrating through the horizontal address line 8 a, aprogrammable layer 6 a covering the sidewall of the memory hole 2 a, anda vertical address line 4 a in the memory hole 2 a. The programmablelayer 6 a could be one-time programmable (OTP), multiple-timeprogrammable (MTP) or re-programmable. For an OTP memory, theprogrammable layer 6 a comprises an antifuse layer. Examples of theantifuse material include silicon oxide layer, silicon nitride layer, ora combination thereof. For an MTP or re-programmable memory, theprogrammable layer 6 a is a re-writable layer. Examples of there-writable material include resistive RAM (RRAM) material, phase-changememory (PCM) material, conductive-bridge RAM (CBRAM) material, magneticRAM (MRAM) material and other materials. The thickness t of theprogrammable layer 6 a ranges from 1 nm to 200 nm.

The horizontal address line 8 a comprises two regions: a first region 9a* and a second region 7 a*. The first region 9 a* is a lightly-dopedregion surrounding the memory hole 2 a. It comprises at least alightly-doped semiconductor material, e.g. N-semiconductor material, P−semiconductor material, or intrinsic semiconductor material. Thethickness T of the lightly-doped region 9 a* ranges from tens ofnanometers to tens of microns. The second region 7 a* is alow-resistivity region outside the lightly-doped region 9 a*. Itcomprises at least a conductive material whose resistivity is lower thanthat of the lightly-doped region 9 a*. Examples of the conductivematerial include heavily-doped semiconductor material (e.g. N+semiconductor material, P+ semiconductor material, semiconductormaterial doped with metal, etc.), and metallic material (e.g. metal,metal compound, etc.). The presence of the lightly-doped region 9 a*reduces the reverse leakage current and improves the reverse breakdownvoltage of the memory cell 1 aa, whereas the presence of thelow-resistivity region 7 a* lowers the resistance of the horizontaladdress line 8 a and shortens the access time of the 3D-M_(V).

Because the lightly-doped region 9 a* in the memory cell 1 aa isdisposed outside the memory hole 2 a, the diameter D of the memory hole2 a is equal to the sum of the diameter d of the vertical address line 4a and twice the thickness t of the programmable layer 6 a (i.e. D=d+2t).As a result, the diameter D of the memory hole 2 a is much smaller thanthat of FIG. 1E (prior art).

FIGS. 3AA-3AB disclose a first preferred embodiment of the two-region3D-M_(V) memory cell 1 aa. In this first preferred embodiment, thevertical address line 4 a comprises P+ semiconductor material ormetallic material, while the lightly-doped region 9 a* of the horizontaladdress line 8 a comprises at least an N− (or, i−) semiconductormaterial and the low-resistivity region 7 a* comprises at least an N+semiconductor material (FIG. 3AA). Accordingly, the vertical addressline 4 a is coupled to the anode of the diode 14, whereas the horizontaladdress line 8 a is coupled to the cathode of the diode 14 (FIG. 3AB).

FIGS. 3BA-3BB disclose a second preferred embodiment of the two-region3D-M_(V) memory cell 1 aa. In this second preferred embodiment, thevertical address line 4 a comprises at least an N+ semiconductormaterial, while the lightly-doped region 9 a* of the horizontal addressline 8 a comprises at least an N− (or, i−) semiconductor material andthe low-resistivity region 7 a* comprises at least a P+ semiconductormaterial or metallic material (FIG. 3BA). Accordingly, the verticaladdress line 4 a is coupled to the cathode of the diode 14, whereas thehorizontal address line 8 a is coupled to the anode of the diode 14(FIG. 3BB).

FIGS. 4A-4B disclose an overall structure of a preferred two-region3D-M_(V) 30. FIG. 4A is a top view of a horizontal address line 8 a. Thememory holes 2 a-2 h penetrate through the horizontal address line 8 a.Inside the memory holes 2 a-2 h, their sidewalls are covered with theprogrammable layers 6 a-6 h. Outside the memory holes 2 a-2 h, thelightly-doped regions 9 a*-9 h* surround the memory holes 2 a-2 h.Further outside the lightly-doped regions 9 a*-9 h*, the remaining areasof the horizontal address line 8 a are the low-resistivity region 7 a*.

FIG. 4B shows two neighboring memory cells 1 aa, 1 ab in the preferredtwo-region 3D-M_(V) 30. Each of the memory cells 1 aa, 1 ab has thestructure shown in FIG. 2. Between the two memory cells 1 aa, 1 ab,there is a low-resistivity region 7 a*. The spacing S between two memoryholes 2 a, 2 b is equal to the sum of twice the thickness T of thelightly-doped regions 9 a*, 9 b* and the thickness T′ of thelow-resistivity region 7 a* (i.e. S=2T+T). Because the thickness T ofthe lightly-doped regions 9 a*, 9 b* ranges from tens of nanometers totens of microns, the spacing S in this preferred two-region 3D-M_(V) 30is large.

To reduce the spacing between the memory holes, the present inventionfurther discloses a shared 3D-M_(V). It is an improvement over thetwo-region 3D-M_(V) with each lightly-doped region shared by a pluralityof memory cells. In the following figures, FIGS. 5A-6D disclose a firstpreferred shared 3D-M_(V), FIGS. 7A-7CB disclose a second preferredshared 3D-M_(V), and FIGS. 8A-8D disclose several other preferredembodiments.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A-5CB, a first preferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20 isshown. It comprises a plurality of vertically stacked horizontal addresslines 8 a-8 h, a plurality of memory holes 2 a-2 d penetrating throughthe horizontal address lines 8 a-8 h, a plurality of programmable layers6 a-6 d covering the sidewalls of the memory holes 2 a-2 d, and aplurality of vertical address lines 4 a-4 d formed inside the memoryholes 2 a-2 d (FIG. 5A). The preferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20 is dividedinto at least two sections: a first lightly-doped section 9 and a secondlow-resistivity section 7. All horizontal address lines 8 a-8 h thatfall within the first lightly-doped section 9 comprises at least alightly-doped semiconductor material, while all horizontal address lines8 a-8 h that fall within the second low-resistivity section 7 comprisesat least a low-resistivity material. Accordingly, the horizontal addresslines 8 a-8 h comprise at least two regions: first lightly-doped regions9 a-9 h and second low-resistivity regions 7 a-7 h.

For each horizontal address line (e.g. 8 a), a lightly-doped region 9 ais shared by the memory cells 1 aa, 1 ab, 1 ae, 1 af . . . , whileanother lightly-doped region 9 a′ is shared by the memory cells 1 ad, 1ah . . . . On the other hand, these two lightly-doped regions 9 a, 9 a′are separated by a low-resistivity region 7 a, which is shared by thememory cells 1 ac, 1 ag . . . (FIG. 5B). Each lightly-doped region 9 a,9 a′ is continuous, i.e. the memory cells 1 aa, 1 ab, 1 ae, 1 af are notseparated by the low-resistivity region 7 a. Within each lightly-dopedregion 9 a, the memory cells 1 aa, 1 ab, 1 ae, 1 af constitute at leasttwo rows (e.g. 1 aa, 1 ab) and at least two columns (e.g. 1 aa, 1 ae).

Because they are formed at the intersections of the lightly-doped region9 a and the vertical address lines 4 a, 4 b, 4 e, 4 f, these memorycells 1 aa, 1 ab, 1 ae, 1 af have small reverse leakage currents andtherefore, are referred to as low-leakage memory cells. Whereas, thememory cells 1 ac, 1 ag formed at the intersections of thelow-resistivity region 7 a and vertical address lines 4 c, 4 g havelarge reverse leakage currents and therefore, are referred to ashigh-leakage memory cells. On the other hand, the conductive material inthe low-resistivity region 7 a forms a conductive network in thehorizontal address line 8 a. It provides a low-resistancecurrent-flowing path. This ensures a short access time and a smallprogramming voltage for the preferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20.

FIG. 5CA is a circuit schematic of a memory array 20 a of the firstpreferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20 which uses the memory cell of FIGS.3AA-3AB. Each open symbol (i.e. with an open triangle) represents alow-leakage memory cell (e.g. 1 aa), while each solid symbol (i.e. witha solid triangle) represents a high-leakage memory cell (e.g. 1 ac). Asindicated in FIG. 3AB, the vertical address lines 4 a-4 h are coupled tothe anodes of the diodes in the memory cells 1 aa-1 ah . . . and act asword lines, whereas the horizontal address lines 8 a-8 h are coupled tothe cathodes of the diodes in the memory cells 1 aa-1 ah . . . and actas bit lines. During read, a read voltage V_(R) is applied on a selectedone (e.g. 4 a) of the vertical address lines (word lines) 4 a-4 h whileall other vertical address lines 4 b-4 h are grounded. The informationstored in the memory cells 1 aa-1 ha is read out by sensing the voltagechanges on the horizontal address lines (bit lines) 8 a-8 h. In thispreferred embodiment, the horizontal address lines (bit lines) 8 a-8 hare coupled to the sense amplifiers (not shown in this figure for reasonof simplicity).

FIG. 5CB is a circuit schematic of a memory array 20 a of the firstpreferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20 which uses the memory cell of FIGS.3BA-3BB. As indicated in FIG. 3BB, the vertical address lines 4 a-4 hare coupled to the cathodes of the diodes in the memory cells 1 aa-1 ah. . . and act as bit lines, whereas the horizontal address lines 8 a-8 hare coupled to the anodes of the diodes and act as word lines. Duringread, a read voltage V_(R) is applied on a selected one (e.g. 8 a) ofthe horizontal address lines (word lines) 8 a-8 h while all otherhorizontal address lines 8 b-8 h are grounded. The information stored inthe memory cells 1 aa-1 ah is read out by sensing the voltage changes onthe vertical address lines (bit lines) 4 a-4 h. In this preferredembodiment, the vertical address lines (bit lines) 4 a-4 h are coupledto the sense amplifiers (not shown in this figure for reason ofsimplicity).

In the conventional semiconductor memory, all unprogrammed memory cells(e.g. in state ‘0’) have similar physical structures, while theprogrammed memory cells storing the same digital information (i.e. inthe same digital state, e.g. in state ‘1’) have similar electricalcharacteristics. On the other hand, in the preferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20,even if they store the same digital information, the low-leakage memorycell 1 aa and high-leakage memory cell 1 ac have different electricalcharacteristics: the resistance of the high-leakage memory cell (e.g. instate ‘1’) 1 ac is lower than that of the low-leakage memory cell (e.g.in state ‘1’) 1 aa; and, the resistance of the low-leakage memory cell(e.g. in state ‘1’) is smaller than that of the unprogrammed memory cell(e.g. in state ‘0’).

FIGS. 6A-6D show four manufacturing steps of the first preferred shared3D-M_(V) 20. The manufacturing steps for the substrate circuit OK iswell known to those skilled in the art and will not be described here.After the top of the substrate circuit OK is planarized, a firstlightly-doped layer 12 a is deposited thereon. This lightly-doped layer12 a has a thickness ranging from 5 nm to 200 nm. It could be doped withN− semiconductor material, P− semiconductor material, or not doped atall (i.e. an intrinsic semiconductor layer). Then a first insulatinglayer 5 a is deposited on the lightly-doped layer 12 a. The insulatinglayer 5 a has a thickness ranging from 5 nm to 200 nm. It could comprisesilicon oxide, silicon nitride, other insulating material, or acombination thereof. This process is then repeated for the remaininglightly-doped layers 12 b-12 h and insulating layers 5 b-5 g (FIG. 6A).

After forming the lightly-doped layers 12 a-12 h, a firstphotolithography step is performed on its top surface. A photo-resistlayer (not shown in FIG. 6B for reason of simplicity) covers thelow-resistivity section 9 but not the lightly-doped section 7. Then anion-implant step is carried out. The implanted ions could be N+ ions, P+ions, or metal ions. After the ion-implant step, the regions 7 a-7 h inthe lightly-doped layers 12 a-12 h become heavily doped and have a lowresistivity (FIG. 6B).

Next, a second photolithography step is performed. The lightly-dopedlayers 12 a-12 h are etched to form the horizontal address lines 8 a-8 hand associated structures (FIG. 6C). Then a third photolithography stepis performed. The memory holes 2 a-2 d are etched through the horizontaladdress lines 8 a-8 h (FIG. 6D). This is followed by the formation ofthe programmable layers 6 a-6 d and the vertical address lines 4 a-4 d(FIG. 5A). Since the above manufacturing steps are similar to those of3D-NAND, their details will not be described here. Overall, thepreferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20 has a simple physical structure andrequires a simple manufacturing process.

In one preferred manufacturing method, the lightly-doped layers 12 a-12h and insulating layers 5 a-5 g are preferably deposited continuouslyand without any interruption (FIG. 6A). These layers are depositedinside a single deposition tool without any non-depositing steps (e.g.photolithography steps) in-between. As a result, wafers do not need tobe taken out from the deposition tool during the deposition process.Because planarization is well kept during these deposition steps, tensto hundreds of lightly-doped layers can be deposited together (eightlayers are shown in FIG. 6A). In other words, the preferred shared3D-M_(V) 20 could comprise tens to hundreds of levels of horizontaladdress lines. For this preferred method, the low-resistivity regions 7a-7 h in the horizontal address lines 8 a-8 h are formed in a singleion-implant step.

In another preferred manufacturing method, the low-resistivity regions 7a-7 h are formed in separate steps (not shown in FIGS. 6A-6D for reasonof simplicity). For example, a lithography step is performed after theformation of the first lightly-doped layer 12 a. Then an ion-implantstep (or, a silicidation step) is carried out to lower the resistivityof a selected region 7 a in the first lightly-doped layer 12 a. This isfollowed by the formation of the first insulating layer 5 a and thesecond lightly-doped layer 12 b. After that, another lithography step isperformed and another ion-implant step (or, another silicidation step)is carried out to lower the resistivity of another selected region 7 bin the second lightly-doped layer 12 b. The above steps are repeated forother lightly-doped layers 12 c-12 h. One advantage of this method isthat the low-resistivity regions (e.g. 7 a, 7 b) can be formed atdifferent locations in different lightly-doped layers (e.g. 12 a, 12 b).They do not need to overlap.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A-7CB, a second preferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20 isdisclosed. This preferred embodiment is similar to that in FIGS. 5A-5CBexcept that there is no memory hole in the low-resistivity section 7(FIG. 7A). Accordingly, only the lightly-doped region 9 a comprisesmemory cells 1 aa, 1 ab, 1 ad-1 af, 1 ah, while the low-resistivityregion 7 a does not comprise any memory cells (FIG. 7B). This is furtherillustrated in FIGS. 7CA-7CB. The memory array 20 a only compriseslow-leakage memory cells 1 aa, 1 ab, 1 ad-1 af, 1 ah (represented byopen symbols), but does not comprise any high-leakage memory cells. As aresult, this preferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20 has a robust read-writeperformance.

Although a memory array 20 a of the preferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20 couldinclude both low-leakage memory cells 1 aa-1 ha . . . and high-leakagememory cells 1 ac-1 hc . . . at the same time, as long as the totalnumber of the high-leakage memory cells 1 ac-1 hc . . . is far smallerthan the low-leakage memory cells 1 aa-1 ha . . . , the performance ofthe preferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20 would not be compromised. Accordingly,the present invention further discloses several preferred embodiments ofthe shared 3D-M_(V)'s in FIGS. 8A-8D. In these figures, each dotrepresents a memory hole. For reason of simplicity, the internalstructures of the memory hole are not shown.

The preferred embodiment of FIG. 8A corresponds to FIGS. 5A-5CB. Thelow-leakage memory cells 2 x are formed in the lightly-doped region 9 a,while the high-leakage memory cells 2 y are formed in thelow-resistivity region 7 a. Both low-leakage memory cells 2 x andhigh-leakage memory cells 2 y have the same areal density. As long asthe total area of the lightly-doped region 9 a is much larger than thatof the low-resistivity region 7 a, this preferred embodiment canfunction correctly. In FIG. 8A, the lightly-doped region 9 a has arectangular shape. Whereas, the lightly-doped region 9 a in FIG. 8B hasa hexagonal shape. Apparently, the lightly-doped region 9 a could takeother geometric shapes. As is shown in FIG. 8B, several memory holes aredisposed at the border between the lightly-doped region 9 a and thelow-resistivity region 7 a and therefore, they are in contact with boththe lightly-doped region 9 a and the low-resistivity region 7 a.

In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 8C, the areal density of thelow-leakage memory cells 2 x remains same as that of FIG. 8A, but theareal density of the high-leakage memory cells 2 y is lower than that ofFIG. 8A. Compared to FIG. 8A, it has fewer high-leakage memory cells 2y. This would improve the performance of the preferred shared 3D-M_(V)20. The preferred embodiment of FIG. 8D corresponds to FIGS. 7A-7CB.Because only the lightly-doped region 9 a comprises memory cells whilethe low-resistivity region 7 a does not comprise any memory cells, thememory array 20 a comprises only low-leakage memory cells 2 x, but nohigh-leakage memory cells. This would further improve the read-writeperformance of the preferred shared 3D-M_(V) 20.

While illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, it wouldbe apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modificationsthan that have been mentioned above are possible without departing fromthe inventive concepts set forth therein. The invention, therefore, isnot to be limited except in the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A three-dimensional vertical memory (3D-M_(V)),comprising: a semiconductor substrate including a substrate circuit; aplurality of horizontal address lines stacked above said substratecircuit; a plurality of memory holes penetrating through said horizontaladdress lines; a plurality of programmable layers covering the sidewallsof said memory holes; a plurality of vertical address lines formed insaid memory holes; each of said horizontal address lines including atleast a first region and a second region outside said first region,wherein: said first region comprises at least a lightly-dopedsemiconductor material surrounding selected ones of said memory holes;said first region has a higher resistivity than said second region; and,a first plurality of said memory holes penetrate through said firstregion; a second plurality of said memory holes penetrate through saidsecond region.
 2. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim 1, wherein a pluralityof low-leakage memory cells are formed at the intersections between saidmemory holes and said first region; and, another plurality ofhigh-leakage memory cells are formed at the intersections between saidmemory holes and said second region.
 3. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim1, wherein the intersections of said selected ones of said memory holesand said each of said horizontal address lines constitute at least tworows and at least two columns.
 4. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim 1,wherein the intersections of said selected ones of said memory holes andsaid each of said horizontal address lines are not separated by saidsecond region.
 5. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim 1, wherein the shapeof said first region is rectangular or hexagonal.
 6. The 3D-M_(V)according to claim 1, wherein the total area of said first region islarger than said second region.
 7. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim 1,wherein a plurality of memory cells formed at the intersections of saidhorizontal address lines and said vertical address lines, with the arealdensity of said memory cells in said first region larger than saidsecond region.
 8. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim 1, wherein selectedone of said memory holes is in contact with both of said first andsecond regions.
 9. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim 1, wherein: saidsecond region comprises at least a heavily-doped semiconductor material;and, said vertical address lines comprise at least a metallic materialor another heavily-doped semiconductor material with polarity oppositeto said heavily-doped semiconductor material.
 10. The 3D-M_(V) accordingto claim 1, wherein: said second region comprises at least a metallicmaterial; and, said vertical address lines comprise at least aheavily-doped semiconductor material.
 11. The 3D-M_(V) according toclaim 1, wherein said programmable layer is one-time programmable,multiple-time programmable, or re-programmable.
 12. A three-dimensionalvertical memory (3D-M_(V)), comprising: a semiconductor substrateincluding a substrate circuit; a plurality of horizontal address linesstacked above said substrate circuit; a plurality of memory holespenetrating through said horizontal address lines; a plurality ofprogrammable layers covering the sidewalls of said memory holes; aplurality of vertical address lines formed in said memory holes; each ofsaid horizontal address lines including at least a first region and asecond region outside said first region, wherein: said first regioncomprises at least a lightly-doped semiconductor material surroundingselected ones of said memory holes; said first region has a higherresistivity than said second region; and, said memory holes penetratethrough said first region; none of said memory holes penetrate throughsaid second region.
 13. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim 12, wherein theintersections of said selected ones of said memory holes and said eachof said horizontal address lines constitute at least two rows and atleast two columns.
 14. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim 12, wherein theintersections of said selected ones of said memory holes and said eachof said horizontal address lines are not separated by said secondregion.
 15. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim 12, wherein the shape ofsaid first region is rectangular or hexagonal.
 16. The 3D-M_(V)according to claim 12, wherein the total area of said first region islarger than said second region.
 17. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim 12,wherein a plurality of memory cells formed at the intersections of saidhorizontal address lines and said vertical address lines, with the arealdensity of said memory cells in said first region larger than saidsecond region.
 18. The 3D-M_(V) according to claim 12, wherein: saidsecond region comprises at least a heavily-doped semiconductor material;and, said vertical address lines comprise at least a metallic materialor another heavily-doped semiconductor material with polarity oppositeto said heavily-doped semiconductor material.
 19. The 3D-M_(V) accordingto claim 12, wherein: said second region comprises at least a metallicmaterial; and, said vertical address lines comprise at least aheavily-doped semiconductor material.
 20. The 3D-M_(V) according toclaim 12, wherein said programmable layer is one-time programmable,multiple-time programmable, or re-programmable.